The News of the World has been forced to apologise and pay damages to Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie over an article suggesting he had an affair with Kate Moss.

The newspaper today apologised for the "distress and injury" caused to Gillespie and his long-term partner Katy England and agreed not to repeat the allegations.

"The claimants are in fact happily engaged and living together. The claimants are both good and longstanding friends of Kate Moss and are both godparents to her daughter," said their solicitor, Gerrard Tyrrell.

The article, which appeared on January 25, was headlined "It Moss be Love" and wrongly claimed that the model was comforting Gillespie after a supposed split with his fiancee.

Mr Tyrrell said the photograph accompanying the article had given the impression that the photographer had caught Gillespie - who has not split from his fiancee - and Moss alone and holding hands.

In fact, he said that at the time the photograph was taken Gillespie and England were holding hands, while Moss walked in front of the pair.

However, readers would have been oblivious to England's presence because she was obscured by Moss, who was to the fore of the picture.